


don't pretend (you're just a friend)

by percasbeths



Series: songs that remind me of percabeth [10]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Almost Kiss, College AU, F/M, Fluff and Angst, and an intense makeout scene, emotional cheating, for like a single snippet, mentions of luke lol, not actual cheating, percabeth, there is some perachel, there's like mentions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27268027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percasbeths/pseuds/percasbeths
Summary: “Didn’t you say us being friends is a dangerous game?” He asks, raising a brow. He watches her rip off the hoodie she’d slipped on only minutes ago, then picks up her shower caddy and the pile of clothes she’d picked out. She nods. “I did, yeah.”She takes a step closer to him, allowing mere inches between their faces. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest, the smell of lemon and vanilla on her skin, and she has a small smile as she brushes her lips to his ear, “But there’s no fun in playing it safe.”or, percy's taken but annabeth can't get out of his head.(title from "adore" by cashmere cat ft. ariana grande)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: songs that remind me of percabeth [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763155
Comments: 36
Kudos: 207





	don't pretend (you're just a friend)

**Author's Note:**

> THIS HAS !!! IMPLIED EMOTIONAL CHEATING!! AND ALMOST CHEATING!! DO NOT READ IF THAT PLOTLINE IRRITATES U!!
> 
> playlist:  
> \- adore by cashmere cat ft. ariana grande  
> \- break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored by ariana grande  
> \- illicit affairs by taylor swift  
> \- phases by prettymuch

When he meets Annabeth Chase, it’s like he suddenly can’t breathe anymore. She’s sitting on her bed, the blankets perfectly made and a mass of a textbook, an opened laptop, various papers, and an iPad in front of her. When the door opens, her eyes snap up and he sees gray irises—something unique he’d never seen before. 

She looked ready for bed, dressed in a hoodie that was two sizes too big paired with shorts that just barely peeked out from under the fabric with her hair in a half-falling out bun on her head, but as Rachel spews out introductions between the two of them, all he can think is that she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever met. 

She gives Percy a small wave, “It’s nice to meet you.”

He wants to say something coherent, yet the only words that manage to let out are, “Uh, yeah—same.”

He sees her bite back a smile, shakes her head slightly. Rachel sits herself down on her own bunk, directly across from Annabeth’s, and gestures for Percy to follow. 

“So,” Annabeth begins, pushing aside one of her textbooks, “Where did you get invited to tonight?”

“Art gallery opening for some guy my dad knew.” Rachel responds, picking at a loose thread on her denim skirt, “It was boring—hence why we left so soon. You still should have come, though.”

Annabeth raises an eyebrow, “You said it was boring yet I still should have gone?”

Rachel shoots her a grin, “Well, duh. Beats studying all day.”

“Not everyone is an art major, Rach.” Annabeth responds airly, causing Rachel to laugh, “Yeah, yeah, keep making fun of my classes, Chase.”

Percy’s only half listening to the conversation, the other part of his brain focused on the girl across from him. She’d picked back up her iPad and pen, half scrolling through whatever she was doing and jotting down notes, half keeping up a conversation with Rachel. 

He didn’t even realize he was staring until Rachel flicked his cheek. 

“Are you even here?”

He snaps his gaze back to the red-head beside him, nodding, “Yeah, sorry—zoned out for a second.”

He shifts his eyes to Annabeth for a moment, and although her eyes were focused on the screen in her lap, he manages to see the hint of a smile she’s biting back.

“Anyway,” Rachel shifts his attention once again, “I’m gonna run to that 24 hour 7/11 and get some snacks. Do you guys want anything?”

“It’s almost 1 am Rach, I should go with you.” Percy instantly responds, but she’s already tugging her sneakers back on and grabbing her jacket. “It’s a block away, I’ll be fine.”

She leaves the small dorm without allowing any further argument, and once she’s gone, Annabeth lowers the iPad once again.

“You know, you shouldn’t stare at other girls when you’re taken. Especially when your girlfriend’s right there.” She says, and Percy manages a scoff.

“I was not staring—I just zoned out.”

Annabeth looks unconvinced, but lets out a hum of agreement, “Mhm, okay. So, how did you two meet?”

“Junior year of high school. I was captain of the swim team and the school wanted to redesign our swim team logo and redo our hoodies and stuff. She volunteered, and we clicked.” Percy recounts the memory easily, leaning back and letting his back hit the wall. 

Annabeth nods once, “Do you still swim?”

Percy nods, “I’m here on a swim scholarship, Annabeth. My grades would not have gotten me into NYU.”

At that, she lets out a small laugh that Percy decides he could listen to forever. “Are you an art major, too?”

Despite the fact that he deeply cares for his girlfriend and should respect that idea, he makes a slight face, “God, no. I’m in psych.”

She studies him for a second, then hums, “So, he’s a jock _and_ he cares about people.”

He can’t help the smile on his face as his head falls back against the wall, eyes closing for a second. “I’m a man with a lot of layers.”

“Like an onion.”

“Did you just quote _Shrek_ to me, Annabeth?” 

He reopens his eyes, and she has a smile on her lips. “It’s arguably a very quotable movie.”

“Yeah, okay. So what major are you?” He switches the topic, refusing to let their conversation die down. She straightens slightly, “Architecture.”

“Wait—you made fun of Rachel’s art classes when your major is just a glorified artist?”

Annabeth sits up, an incredulous look on her face, “Being an architect is _not_ just a glorified artist! Half my classes are calculations and measurements! How do you think buildings actually stand the way they do?”

He knows she’s yelling at him, but something about the way her eyes lit up only enticed Percy. He picks himself up off the wall, leaning forward, “Why’d you pick it as a major?”

He sees her falter for a second, but then she shrugs once, “I wanted to build something permanent—that won’t go away, or be forgotten, or get left behind—something that lasts.” 

Something in the way she says it tells him there’s more to it, but they’d only just met. So instead, he asks, “Are you planning on adding to New York City’s endless skyscrapers?” 

At that, she smiles, “That’s the plan.”

“You look like you could get there.”

She stands up picking up a few things off her bed, “You don’t know me, Percy.”

“I could, though.”

She places the books she was holding on her desk slowly, almost as if she’s fully contemplating what he’d just said. Then, she turns to him, “You’re playing a very dangerous game here.”

He raises an eyebrow, “Didn’t know making friends was dangerous.”

She hums once, then digs out a shower caddy from underneath her bed. Percy watches her silently, his eyes grazing over her legs and the way the shorts she’s wearing really do nothing to help the fact that he thinks she’s beautiful. 

When she straightens, he attempts to revert his gaze elsewhere, but Annabeth already has him caught. She nods, “Friends, huh?”

“Work with me for a second, okay?” He argues, no venom to his voice, and Annabeth laughs. She picks up her caddy and the towel, stuffing her feet into a pair of flip flops, “I’m gonna go take a quick shower—if you stay the night, please do not make out or do worse loudly. I’m right here.” 

He doesn’t know if she hears him mutter, “I know, believe me.”

  
  
  


The second time he sees her, it’s entirely an accident. Rachel had texted him to come over, and so, the second his lab ends, he’s out the door and making his way across campus. When he makes his way to her dorm, he doesn’t expect Annabeth to open the door, but she does.

He also doesn’t expect her to be in just a sports bra and biker shorts, and Annabeth has to give him a shove before he snaps out of it. 

“Rachel’s not here.” She says, her back to him as she grabs a hoodie and tugs it on. He enters the room regardless, closing the door behind him. “Yeah, I know—she said to come, though, so…”

“Staring at your girlfriend’s roommate for a second time.” She clicks her tongue, meeting his eye, “Not a good look, Jackson.”

“I was not staring.” He lies, sitting down on Rachel’s desk chair. She laughs, “I believed that the first time.”

He narrows his eyes, “You’re evil, you know that?”

She sits down on her bunk, and there’s a glint in her eyes, “Been told that once or twice.”

“What were you doing in a sports bra and biker shorts anyway? It’s fucking September in New York.” He switches the subject, and she rolls her eyes, “I was at practice, idiot. I’m in cheer, and, seeing as our uniforms are mini skirts and crop tops, I train in minimal clothing too. Helps with staying used to it.” 

“Wait, you’re a _cheerleader_?” He leans forward, brows furrowed. He tries to bottle the image of Annabeth in NYU’s cheer uniform in the back of his head but it’s already there, and, based on the way Annabeth’s eyes are shining, she knows he’s thinking it, too. She nods, “Yeah. I took it up in seventh grade and never stopped.”

She leans forward, “And, by the way, imagining is _way_ worse than staring.”

He picks up a paintbrush and throws it at her, which only entises a laugh from her. “I’m joking!”

“You’re a sadist.” He deadpans, and she has a wicked grin on her face as she stands up. “Hey, for what it’s worth, when you said you were a swimmer I pictured it too.”

He feels his body jump, “What?”

She nods once again, and he watches her pull clothes out of her closet, “I mean, you have really broad shoulders, and even from underneath hoodies I can tell you have muscles. When you said you were a swimmer, my mind _did_ wander…”

She shrugs once, turning to meet his eye, “It’s a nice mental visual, you know?” 

His brain is fried, he decides, as she continues wandering her side of the room and picking up various items. She must notice the way he fell silent, because she has a smile on her lips that he’s fully learned never has a good meaning, “Did that really shock you that much?”

He shrugs, forcing himself to regain composure, “I’m not used to it.”

“Wait—” She pauses, “you’re telling me you’re _not_ used to girls flirting?”

“Annabeth, I’ve had a girlfriend for, like, two years now. Definitely not used to it.” He responds, and Annabeth tilts her head to the side, “Huh.”

She doesn’t elaborate any further, and instead she sits down across from him, “Give me your phone.”

“What?”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her lips, “Phone, Percy.”

He unlocks it and hands it to her, “What are you doing?”

“Giving you my number. What does it look like I’m doing?” The response falls from her lips so easily Percy almost thinks he misheard it, but then his phone is back in his lap and the contact page saying ‘Annabeth Chase’ is clear as day.

“Didn’t you say us being friends is a dangerous game?” He asks, raising a brow. He watches her rip off the hoodie she’d slipped on only minutes ago, then picks up her shower caddy and the pile of clothes she’d picked out. She nods. “I did, yeah.”

She takes a step closer to him, allowing mere inches between their faces. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest, the smell of lemon and vanilla on her skin, and she has a small smile as she brushes her lips to his ear, “But there’s no fun in playing it safe.”

With that, she leans back and walks out of the room, and Percy’s left once again with his mind reeling and his breath ragged, as if he’d just ran a marathon.

  
  
  
  


A week later, he’s lying on his bed and although he should be working on the lab report he’s opened up to on his laptop screen, he’s staring at the blank text conversation between him and Annabeth. In the back of his mind, he thinks maybe there’s something wrong with what they’re doing, but he also knows they’re friends. Or, at least--he wants them to be.

He heaves out a sigh, then, finally, his fingers move against the keyboard.

<< **percy** (7:18 PM) : annabeth u better have not given me a fake number

He almost jumps at how quick the response comes.

>> **annabeth** (7:18 PM) : i honestly thought you’d deleted my number at this point

>> **annabeth** (7:19 PM) : hi, jackson

He almost always hates when people call him by his last name—it gives him a reminder of his days in messy boarding schools and teachers who had no patience for him. Yet, for some odd reason, there’s something thrilling about the way she says it.

<< **percy** (7:20 PM) : hey chase

He almost drops his phone when it starts ringing, lighting up with a Facetime call from Annabeth. He lifts himself off his bed as he picks it up. “I thought we were texting.”

Her face fills his screen, a mess of blonde curls and faintly smudged eyeliner and a smile that he’s tempted to screenshot. She adjusts the placement of her phone, propping it up so her hands are free. “We were, but this is funner.”

She’s in her dorm, he realizes, and in a big shirt that’s falling off her shoulder and the same cotton shorts she’d been wearing when they first met. He grins, “What if I was in the bathroom or something?”

She raises an eyebrow, “That’s an even better reason to have called. Seeing you shirtless would have been a win.” 

He laughs, shaking his head slightly, “You’re terrible, you know that?”

“I prefer honest, you know.”

He hums, “Sure, ‘Beth.”

She rolls her eyes, “Anyway, what are you doing?”

“A lab report. Is anyone else there?” He responds, and she shakes her head. “Rachel texted me, like, an hour ago saying she was spending the night with a friend. I thought she meant you, but I guess she meant one of her art major people.”

Percy sits up, then props his phone up against his laptop screen. He knew he wasn’t going to get any work done tonight. “Wait, so you’re alone right now?”

“That’s a very questionable sentence, Percy.” 

He rolls his eyes, but a smile forms on his lips regardless, “Can you answer the question?”

She picks up her phone and pans it across the empty dorm, “Yes, I’m alone.”

“Want to come over?” The question is risky, and he had barely thought it through before it left his lips. Annabeth stares at him, “Don’t you have roommates?”

“Nope.” He responds, popping the ‘p’. “One of the perks of the scholarship is that they offered me a single, and I took it, obviously.”

“So many of Rachel’s nights make so much sense now.” She responds, which only causes him to laugh, “Of course you’d think that.”

“Isn’t that the dream? For your significant other to have a single?”

“Rachel doesn’t take advantage of it enough.” He says, and it’s enough to leave Annabeth’s curiosity reeling. He wants to backpedal, but he’s stuck. Annabeth raises an eyebrow, “Would you like to share with the class, Percy?”

“I’d rather not. Are you coming or not?”

She’s thinking about it. He can tell from the way her gaze shifts from the camera to something off, and he knows the answer before she even says it, “I shouldn’t.”

“All we’d do is watch a movie.” He responds, and Annabeth looks at him through her screen, “Let’s not.”

He doesn’t argue. Instead, he pulls his laptop closer to him, “Do you have Netflix party?”

“Yeah, why?” 

He gives her a smile, “Are you busy right now?”

“I’m on Facetime with you, shouldn’t that tell you enough?”

He laughs, then pulls up a movie and texts her the link, “We’re gonna watch a movie.”

“You found the loophole.” She responds, but he sees her icon pop up on his screen, so he knows she’s not against it.

“I want to watch a movie with you, is that so bad?” 

“No, definitely not.” She says, and there’s a smile on her face that he almost screenshots again. “Should we hang up, or are we staying on the line?”

“Your choice, honestly.” He pulls up a random movie, one that seems so bad it’ll be good and seems to be trending in the US. He sees her adjust her seat, curl into her blanket. Her phone is still propped up on what he guesses is her laptop screen, and she’s hugging a pillow to her chest, “Don’t hang up.”

Her voice runs straight through him, and he nods. He dims his table lamp then lays back, “Tell me when I can press play.”

“You can now, but this movie is gonna suck.”

“That’s the whole point.” He jokes, then hits spacebar and the two fall silent.

They run through three movies until Annabeth admits she’s practically asleep, and when they whisper good night, the words ‘dangerous game’ run through him like a mantra.

  
  
  


Game nights at Grover’s apartment were a sacred thing. They’d started when they were in high school, during a weekend where all of them were losing their minds over midterms week and all Grover wanted was to play Mario Kart on his Wii. So, that night, he’d sent out a text to their group chat, composed of Percy, himself, Leo, Piper, and Rachel, and simply demanded that they came over. It became a tradition, and now, years later, it upholds.

Two days ago, Grover finally secured the newest version of Mario Party on his Nintendo Switch, so, as one does, he invited everyone over. Currently, Percy was laying on Grover’s couch as Piper and Leo prepared the snacks in the kitchen and Grover set up the gaming console. Usually, he’d offer to help in some aspect, but instead, he was texting Annabeth, of all things.

<< **annabeth** (8:19 PM) : did u fucking know elephants can’t jump

<< **annabeth** (8:19 PM) : like what the fuck

<< **annabeth** (8:20 PM) : i mean yeah they’re huge but still. what kind of being just doesn’t jump

Percy bites back a laugh, shaking his head as his fingers work out a response.

>> **percy** (8:21 PM) : why the fuck are u looking at animal facts at 8 pm

<< **annabeth** (8:21 PM) : i found a website 

<< **annabeth** (8:21 PM) : dogs can resist black widow venom do u have a dog i have a hypothesis

>> **percy** (8:22 PM) : ur a fucking idiot

“Cannot believe I just spent 30 minutes making god-tier dip for Percy to devour in two minutes all while he’s fucking texting someone.” Leo comments, placing a massive bowl of chips and plates of various dips on the coffee table. “Who the fuck are you even texting? Everyone you know is in this room.”

“Rachel, duh. He has that stupid smile.” Piper sits down on his legs, causing him to let out a yelp and shove her. She snickers as he sits up, readjusting her position and stealing the cushion he’d been laying on.

“It wasn’t Rachel.” He picks up a chip, ignoring the way Piper stares at him, “Wait, then who the fuck was it?”

“Annabeth.” He shrugs, and Leo gives his knee a shove, “Are we supposed to know who that is?”

“Why is that name—Percy, what the _fuck_?” Piper reaches over and grabs his phone, causing Percy to let out a noise of complaint, “Piper, give it back!”  
  


She’s off the couch and half way across the room by the time he gains his composure, and she’s holding his phone in her hand, “Why are you texting your girlfriend’s roommate?”

“We’re friends!” He defends, and he watches Piper type in his passcode, “Like I believe that.”

It’s quiet as she scrolls through his phone, but she only does so for a minute before tossing the phone back to him, “You’re fucked, you know that? You’re setting yourself up to crash and burn and that friendship is dangerous.”

“Everyone keeps saying that, but it’s harmless!” He protests, but Grover lets out a laugh, “Dude, you texted me the night you met her and told me you’re a mess. I don’t believe that for shit.”

He’s fully ready to keep arguing, but then the door opens and he sees curly red hair and they all know to stop speaking. What he doesn’t expect, though, is for Annabeth to follow behind, two bags from 7/11 in her hands. 

“I’m late, I know, but we stopped to pick up extra snacks and I dragged Annabeth to come along, is that cool?” Rachel explains, sitting herself down on the couch beside Leo. 

“Rachel, you’re ass at introducing people.” Piper says, then gets up and takes the bags from Annabeth. “I’m Piper, that’s Leo, Grover, and you’ve met Percy.”

Annabeth peaks out from behind Piper and gives a small wave, “Hi, I hope I’m not, like, intruding. Rachel told me you guys do this all the time and she thinks I spend too much time in my dorm.”

“You need a social life, Annie.” Rachel responds, and Annabeth follows Piper and sits down beside Percy. She picks up a throw pillow, “I have a social life. I was literally fucking texting someone before you forced me to get up.”

“Okay, texting some guy you have a crush on and going to Thalia’s dorm is not a social life.” She argues, and Percy feels a rush pass through him.

_Some guy you have a crush on._

Annabeth stiffens, but before that subject can go any further, Piper diverges the subject, “Wait, do you mean Thalia Grace?”

A look passes over Annabeth, and, even though the two had just met, Percy knows Piper asks that to mostly relieve Annabeth. 

“Uh, yeah, how do you know Thalia?”

“Leo and I are super close with her brother, we went to high school together.” Piper picks up a chip, “He stayed in California after we graduated, though, so we only ever see him on vacations.”

The conversation only goes from there, and soon enough, the Switch is set up and the six of them have divided into teams. Piper almost immediately claims Annabeth, hooking their arms together and picking up the red controller, “We’re gonna destroy you guys.”

“It’s Mario Party, not Smash Bros.” Grover reminds her, and Leo lets out a small gasp, “We need to play that next!”

“I’m not playing Smash against Annabeth.” Rachel says from beside Percy, eyeing Annabeth, who lets out a noise of protest, “Why not?”

“Didn’t you say you played that all the time with your brothers? Yeah, no.”

“Not _all_ the time.” She protests, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “I just—it was like, the one thing my brothers liked to do with me, and I got good.” 

“You played against kids, that doesn’t count.” Percy responds, and Annabeth raises a brow, “Is that a challenge, Jackson?”

They’re sitting across from each other, with Annabeth curled up on the floor beside Piper, and he meets her eyes, “Maybe.”

She’s biting back a smile as she turns her head, facing Grover, “Is Smash out?”

“Please don’t kill each other.” He says, but he pulls out the game cartridge anyway. Annabeth laughs, “We won’t, I just want to know who wins.”

“Alright, I got five bucks on Annabeth.” Leo tosses out as Grover switches the games, and Percy shoots him an incredulous look, “Dude, what the fuck?”

“I’m on Annabeth, too.” Piper adds, grabbing onto Annabeth’s hand. Percy stares between the two of them, “You have that little faith in me?”

“No, Annabeth’s just hotter.” She responds, which causes a laugh to leave Annabeth, “Aw, you’re hot too.”

“This is evil. You’re evil.” Percy huffs, accepting the remote from Grover. Annabeth picks herself up off the ground, sitting down beside Percy and taking the other remote, “You’ve told me that already. I think I should start a tally of how many times you do.”

“Yeah, yeah—just pick your player, Chase.”

She wins, by a way larger margin than Percy expected. By the end of it, Leo and Piper are each 10 bucks richer and Grover switches back to Mario Party so they can play a few rounds.

It’s almost 12 when Annabeth finally calls it, pushing a half asleep Piper off her shoulder so she can pull her jacket on, “This was really fun—thank you for letting me stick around.”

“You can spend the night if you want, you know—you don’t need to walk home now.” Grover responds, piling up the empty bowls onto a tray. Annabeth shakes her head, “Leo, Rachel, and Piper are already passed out. Let me not make it worse. Plus, it’s only, like, four blocks.”

“I’ll walk you.” Percy offers, and he sees Annabeth prepare to argue, but he’s already pulling his jacket on and inching Rachel off his shoulder, “I’m gonna do it whether you want me to or not. Grover, I’ll come back and help you clean up.”

They head out after that, and the cold October wind hits the two of them a lot harder than it should. “You really don’t have to walk me home, I’m fine.”

“I want to.” He argues, and Annabeth glances up at him. She gives his shoulder a small bump with her own, “Thank you.”

“So, you’re a Smash pro. Didn’t expect that.” He says, and Annabeth laughs.

“Yeah, well—my brothers, well, half-brothers, are younger, so the only way I ever bonded with them was through gaming. And even now, our best conversations are on Discord servers whenever they wanna play with me.”

“What about the rest of your family?”

She shrugs. Her attention is anywhere but his face, but he’s okay with it. A small breath leaves her, “I barely know my biological mom, and my dad and step-mom definitely are lacking in the parental department, but it’s whatever.”

“It’s not whatever, but we don’t have to talk about it right now.” His voice comes out a soft hum amongst the buzz of New York City at night, and he sees a small smile form on her lips. 

“Well, what about your family?” She wraps her arms around herself as she speaks, and Percy grins, “I never really met my biological dad, but my mom—my mom is my favorite person, next to my little sister. It’s just them two and my step-dad, and I still see them like every weekend, so, you know…”

He trails off, and Annabeth meets his eyes, a smile playing on her lips, “Percy Jackson is a momma’s boy.”

He laughs, but nods regardless, “Damn right I am, she’d crucify me if I said otherwise.”

“That’s really cute.” She says, turning her gaze back on the street in front of them, and he only then notices she’s shivering.

“‘Beth, take my jacket.” They’ve stopped at a crosswalk, and he’s quick to tug the piece of clothing off. She opens her mouth to protest, but he speaks before she can, “We’re, like, two blocks away and I’m used to the cold. You’re shivering.”

She glances between Percy’s face and the ball of fabric before finally accepting it, tugging it over her shoulders. It’s huge, covering till her mid-thighs and leaving her hands unseeable from underneath the fabric, but she looks so good his brain turns to mush for a second. 

“Cute.” The word slips out before he can stop it, and her cheeks burn ever redder, “Thank you.”

“So,” He begins, as the two of them cross the street, “You were texting a guy you had a crush on?”

Immediately, Annabeth gives him a shove, and he lets out a laugh as he grabs onto the hand she had used. She gives him a glare, “Go back to Grover’s.”

“It was a question!” 

“A not very nice one!” She shoots back, and lets out a small huff, “I don’t even know why she said that. I know she wouldn’t if she knew _who_ I was crushing on.”

“Well, who is it?” He knows he’s crossing dangerous territory, knows that the two of them were texting just before she walked into Grover’s apartment, but something in him wants to hear the words fall from her lips. 

They’ve reached the outside of her dorms, and she stops, turning to face Percy, “I think you know who.”

He gives her a small smile, “Do you think he likes you back?”

She glances between him and the door of her dorm, “I think so, but he’s taken.”

Slowly, she lifts a hand and picks off a piece of lint from the front of his hoodie, “It’s a shame he is, too, because all I want is to kiss him.”

He wants to respond, desperately trying to put together a coherent sentence about how much he’s thought about her lips and how horrible he feels because he can feel himself falling for her more and more everyday, but she’s already shrugged off his jacket and placed it in his hand. 

“Thanks for walking me home.” She whispers, then leans up and carefully presses a kiss to his cheek. It’s feather light, just enough that he can feel it, and when she pulls back he wants to properly kiss her. 

She’s already turned and walked up the stairs to her dorm, though, and he’s left standing and gripping his jacket and thinking Piper was right—he’s absolutely fucked.

  
  
  


Percy doesn’t know how Annabeth ends up at his dorm, but he chooses not to complain. It’s not like she hadn’t been there before—Percy’s single was a quick hangout spot whenever Grover didn’t want to deal with the mess that came with having them over. But this time, he thinks, it’s different. It had started off with the two of them texting, and somewhere in the conversation Percy admitted to never having seen any of the _Twilight_ movies. Annabeth almost instantly demands that he should see them immediately, and, fifteen minutes later, Annabeth is at his door and he’d pulled out all the movie snacks he had stored in his desk drawer. 

“Why the fuck does Bella like Edward so much? He’s a creep.” Percy asks, his attention fixed on the laptop screen in front of him. They’d reached _Eclipse_ in their marathon, and it was nearing midnight, but Annabeth made no move to leave. She shrugs, picking a Twizzler out of the bag in Percy’s lap, “He’s hot.”

“He fucking _glitters_ in the sun.”

“And? Rob is still hot, Percy.” She gives him a small shove, and he rolls his eyes, “Go back to the movie, Annabeth.”

They stay that way for the remainder of _Eclipse_ , and once it ends, Percy stretches and asks for a break. Annabeth complies, collapsing onto his pillow, “The next one’s boring, just warning you.”

He falls back beside her, head turned so he can see her, “Don’t demotivate me now, Chase. We’re in too deep.”

“I’m just telling you the truth!” She states, turning her head to look at him, “The only interesting part is when Edward and Bella destroy a bed.”

Percy stares at her, which only causes her to laugh, “It’s a good time, honestly.”

“You’re fucking weird.”

“That’s uncalled for!” She gives his shoulder a small push, and she’s close, so close he can smell the candy in her breath and the lemon and vanilla perfume she uses. He laughs, grabbing the hand she shoved him with and placing it between the two of them. 

“You are weird, Annabeth. You text me animal facts at 2 am and talk about your major more than pre-med people do.” 

She presses their hands together, “They’re interesting facts.”

“Yeah, because I really needed to know shrimp have hearts in their head.” He rolls his eyes, and Annabeth lets out a small laugh, “You remembered it, though.”

“I pay attention.”

It’s a simple comment, but something shifts in Annabeth’s expression. He feels her intertwine their fingers and bring their hands closer to her, and the contact sends a jolt through his skin. 

“At least shrimp probably think through their feelings.” She says the words carefully, her gaze searching Percy’s face, “They wouldn’t fuck themselves over like humans do.”

The words are quiet, the meaning behind them seeping into Percy and settling into his chest. She’s close, too close that he can see her collarbones underneath the hem of her shirt and his thumb is grazing the inch of skin on her stomach where her shirt rode up. If he inches any closer, their noses would be touching.

It’s dangerous, he thinks, to be this close to her. He doesn’t want to pull away, yet his eyes keep wandering to her lips and he knows it's a problem.

“You know,” She says softly, as Percy runs a circle across the back of her hand with his thumb, “I’d kiss you right now, if it weren’t for, you know…”

She trails off, and Percy lets out a breath, “Rachel.”

“Yeah.” She responds, “Fucking Rachel.”

He exhales, watching the way Annabeth studies his face for a moment, then she finally sits up, “I should go.”

“What about the movies?” 

“You can, um, finish them without me, or something.” She stuffs her feet back into her shoes, “I just—it’s late and I shouldn’t be here.”

“We’re just watching movies.” He defends, and Annabeth turns to him, “Did you tell Rachel I was coming over?”

He falls silent. Annabeth nods, “Goodnight, Percy.”

He doesn’t tell her he thinks her hand in his is the most comforting thing in the world. 

  
  
  


Percy fully believes he has good patience. He’s endured a lot, and as a result, he’s adapted decent coping mechanisms. He doesn’t expect to snap often, but when it comes out, it’s rough. 

He should have walked out when he had the chance to.

Rachel had texted him to come over, saying she would be there soon and that Annabeth could let him in. That seemed to become a routine, and it made him feel terrible that he actually liked the alone time with Annabeth before Rachel would show up.

When he knocks on their door, he expects Annabeth to be in her usual hoodie and leggings, but when she opens the door, it takes him a minute.

She’s in a red dress that hugs her body till her thighs and falls off her shoulder in small puffs. When she opens the door, she’s putting earrings on, “Oh, hey.”

He’s staring at her, and she pauses, then laughs, “Boundaries, Jackson.”

He snaps out of it as she shoves his chest, and he enters the dorm, “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I _can_ make plans, you know.” She responds, sitting down at her desk. “I just choose not to, usually.”

“Well, what are your plans tonight?” He sits down on Rachel’s bunk, an attempt to force distance between the two of them. She’s fixing her makeup, he realizes, and she looks so good it hurts.

“Someone asked me out.”

Percy feels the wind knocked out of him, “Who?”

“Connor Stoll, but that doesn’t even matter.” She responds, then turns her chair as Percy raises an eyebrow, “You’re going on a date with Stoll?”

“Yeah, why?”

Percy had sat through a lot with Annabeth. He holds back brushing her hair back when it falls on her face. He avoids staring at her lips when she speaks so he doesn’t end up kissing her. He sat through the Halloween party where she wore a Ravenclaw costume that made him want to exclusively stare at her legs. 

This, though, hurts him. He shrugs, ignoring the hot, searing feeling in his gut, ignores his urge to throw something. “Nothing, he’s just… not who I thought you’d be into.”

“Uh huh.” She responds, completely unconvinced. He watches her grab heeled boots from underneath her bed, “And who do you think I’d be into, exactly?”

“That’s an unfair question.” He states, because he knows that the two of them already know the answer to that one—they’d had this conversation weeks ago when he walked her home. She zips up her boot, “No, it’s unfair that you’re angry right now.”

“I’m not angry.” He lies, and she raises an eyebrow, “Your clenched jaw and hole you’re burning in the wall would say otherwise.” 

“Annabeth, work with me here.” He responds, forcibly unclenching his fists before she notices. She narrows her gaze, “ _I_ have to work with you?” 

She lets out a scoff, “You’re impossible, Percy.”

“How am I impossible?” He raises his voice an octave, inching off the bed, and Annabeth stands. Even with the gap between them, he can see her gray eyes darken, “You have no right to get angry at me for going on a date with someone.”

“You’re going out with someone you don’t even like!” He tosses his hands up, shooting to his feet. He’s let go of his plans to remain calm, and instead lets the white, hot poking in his chest speak for him. “You’re not–”

“You’re dating someone you don’t even like.” She cuts him off, but the words come out low. They’re not a shout, but they’re loud enough Percy can’t respond. She takes in a breath, and he sees the way her lower lip quivers, “You–you can’t do this to me, okay? You can’t come in here and get angry and stupidly jealous when you’re taken. It’s not fair and it hurts and I can’t–I can’t do this.”

She grabs her jacket, tugging it on without looking at him. “I have to go.”

“Annabeth, wait–” He tries to speak, but when she turns to him, her eyes are shining and he knows he’ll only make it worse. “Please _don’t_ say anything right now.”

He doesn’t, and instead he lets her pick up her bag and walk out and desperately tries to ignore the way his chest is burning. 

  
  
  


He’s off the rest of the night, pushing back the burn and half paying attention to Rachel and the movie she’d played on her laptop screen. He ends up making a last minute excuse about a paper and leaves, fists balled and his brain consumed with blonde hair and grey eyes and the fact that there’s someone else treating her the way he wants to.

When he steps out of the building, his gaze freezes on two people across the street. He doesn’t want to, yet he stares as Connor presses a kiss to Annabeth’s lips, and he feels the uncomfortable stabbing pain in his chest again, sees red as they part and the two laugh. 

He stands frozen until Annabeth crosses the street alone, spotting Percy and approaching him, “So, you’re stalking now?”

“No, I was just leaving.” He defends, then stares back at where Annabeth had previously stood, “Looked like a weak kiss.”

“Yeah, well, when you tell your date you’re actually into someone else it’s hard to get a mood going.” She snaps, causing his eyes to fix back onto her. He feels the wind get knocked out of him at those words, “Annabeth, listen–”

“I like you, Percy.” She breathes out, cutting off his words and all previous thoughts running through his head, “And I know I shouldn’t but I’ve felt it since I first met you. Maybe at first it was a joke, like I was just teasing you because you stared at me once, but now it’s a lot more than that. And maybe you feel something too, or maybe you’re just fucking around because you’re bored, but I can’t do this anymore. I can’t–I can’t act like I don’t want to break every single fucking friendship rule whenever I see you.”

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, glances momentarily at the door of her dorm building, “Rachel would hate me if she knew how badly I would break the rules to have you.”

He can’t speak, the words caught in his throat and he has so much to say but can’t figure out how. Annabeth lets out a small breath, “I can’t–I need distance.”

“Annabeth, no–” He grabs onto her hand, the words coming out before he can stop them, “I don’t want that, I’m not fucking around, okay? It’s not that.”

“This is killing me.” She breathes out, “I don’t know how to deal with it anymore.”

She takes a step back, “You need to figure out how you actually feel and I need to be able to breathe.”

Carefully, slowly, she reaches up and brushes her fingers through a strand of his hair, then gives him a barely there smile, “Tell me when you figure it out, okay?”

He watches her go up the stairs and all he can think is that he misses her already.

  
  
  


Thanksgiving weekend, he hadn’t expected to hear from anyone. Rachel, he knows, is occupied in family dinners and formal events that keeps her far from her phone, regardless of how badly she wants to run from them. Grover opted to spend his holiday break with his girlfriend at the old summer camp they met at, and Piper’s somewhere upstate in a cottage her dad rented for the two of them. All in all, he expects his phone to be a dead zone, especially on the day of the holiday, which is why he’s shocked to feel it ringing in his pocket just as they’re finishing setting the table for dinner.

When he sees Annabeth’s contact name on the screen, he falters for a moment. She’d said they need to keep it distant, she’d pushed away when he tugged her closer. It’s not like he hadn’t tried, he’d texted her and would show up at their dorm, but she always found a way to run. _So why was she calling?_

“You might want to answer that.” His mom says over his shoulder, and Percy shakes his head, “No—it’s fine. I’ll, um, I’ll text her later.”

“Rachel?” 

“No.” He chooses not to elaborate. He knows if he describes Annabeth to his mom and Paul that whatever mess in his head will become real--something he can no longer bury.

When his phone rings again, he thinks maybe he should check it. Annabeth had never been the type to even call him, opting for stupid, short texts here and there or a late night Facetime call. He glances at his mom and Paul, who have both begun eating. When Paul gives him a wave of his hand, he jumps out of his seat.

“Annabeth?” He says her name quietly as he makes his way into the kitchen, ignoring his mom’s curious gaze. “What’s up?”

“I know I’m probably ruining your Thanksgiving right now, and I said we should keep space, but I just—I needed to hear someone’s voice and I—” Her voice sounds muffled on the other end, and when she sniffles, it hits him—she’s crying.

“‘Beth, what’s wrong?” 

“It’s stupid.” He hears the sound of a car driving by, and he tugs a hand through his hair, “You’re crying and standing outside and calling me on Thanksgiving. I know it’s not stupid.”

She takes in what sounds like a sharp breath, “I just can’t be here right now and I’m trying to order an Uber but it’s fucking Thanksgiving and people have functional families and can’t fucking drive _anywhere_.”

“Well, where are you?”

“My family has this place near Long Island Sound.” She sniffles, “They’re hosting this dinner party and of course I had to attend.”

“Are there any nearby places open that you can stay in?” He doesn’t know quite what he’s doing, but he shuffles into his room and tugs on socks regardless. 

“There’s a small cafe, like, two blocks away.” 

“Text me the address. I’m on my way now.”

“Percy, no.” Despite how shaky her voice had been before, she’s clear with saying that. “You’re with your family and it’s a holiday that you actually like, I’m not dragging you out of your house for an almost two hour drive for me.”

“You called me crying and said you can’t be home. I’m not—I won’t leave you out like that.” He replies easily, “So, text me, and get a coffee or something. I’ll be fine.”

He hangs up before she can argue, and grabs a jacket off the back of his chair. When he makes his way back to the dining room, he realizes that his mom and Paul had been waiting for him.

“Can I borrow the Prius?” He asks, even though he knows that even if they say no, he’ll take it regardless. “It’s an emergency.”

“Are you going to explain when you come home?” Sally challenges, and he meets her eye. It’s pointless at this point to act like he can hide anything. So, instead, he nods. “It’ll be a while, but yeah, I will.”

“You know where the keys are, Perce—just drive carefully.” Paul shoots him a grin, feeding Estelle a small bite of food, and Percy exhales a breath, “Thank you.”

As he bolts down the stairs of the apartment complex, his phone buzzes with a text from Annabeth.

>> **annabeth** (7:35 PM) : you really don’t have to do this, there’s an inn 15 minutes away

<< **percy** (7:36 PM) : you’re funny 

<< **percy** (7:36 PM) : i’ll be there in an hour 30

When he pulls into the parking lot of the small cafe, he practically shoots out of the car and into the place. It’s empty, which is expected from a coffee shop on Thanksgiving, save for Annabeth.

When she sees him, a look passes over her face that he can’t quite register, and her head is buried in his chest and she’s holding onto him with everything she’s got. Wordlessly, he wraps his arms around her, and it takes him a moment to take in the fact that she’s crying.

“Hey, I got you.” He says the words in a barely there whisper into her hair, “I’m here, ‘Beth.”

It takes her a moment to compose herself, but once she does, Percy heads to the counter and grabs a coffee and hot chocolate before the two of them head out.

When Percy practically chugs half the scalding coffee before starting the car, Annabeth lets out a low breath, “I interrupted your dinner, didn’t I?”

“No, we’d eaten already.” He lies, starting up the GPS back to the apartment. Once they’re pulled out of the empty parking lot, he finally asks, “What happened?”

He manages to glance at her briefly, and she’s picking at a small mark on her wrist, one that he can see is already red and will start bleeding if she doesn’t stop. Over the middle console, he grabs the hand she’d been using to pick at her skin, and intertwines their fingers. She lets out a breath, “Did I ever tell you about my ex?”

“No, not that I remember.” He responds, and he hears her let out a small sigh.

“We dated when I was a sophomore in high school. He was a sophomore too, but in college.” She begins, and before she can even continue, Percy glances at her, “Wait, _what_?”

“Keep your eyes on the road.” She shakes her head, giving his cheek a poke with her free hand, “I know it’s wrong, okay? I just—I never got attention, and then I met him at one of the events for my dad and he was there and he liked me. I used to always dress way older than I looked, especially in formal clothes, and he thought I was older. When I told him I was 16, though, he didn’t really care. So I didn’t either.”

She pauses, taking in a breath. Percy gives her hand a small squeeze, and from his periphery he sees a ghost of a smile form on her lips.

“He, um—we dated. I should have connected dots that it was wrong considering the fact that he kept making us keep it a secret, but I liked the attention. My stepmom and dad never gave me any, and I never saw my actual mom, so I figured at least he would."

She’d moved from picking at her skin to toying with a loose strand on her skirt, and he lets her. “When my dad found out, he got him expelled. He was also involved in a bunch of internships with people my dad knew, and when word got around he got let go of everything. He was never invited to anything hosted by anyone my dad worked with again, but I guess that ban expired, because he was there today.”

When she takes in a breath, he realizes she’s crying once again. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

He says the words softly, dimmed out by the darkness in the car and the silence from the lack of radio music. He sees her shake her head, “It’s okay. He cornered me, and I guess he blames me for everything, because I’m stuck standing there while he yells at me and out of all the things my dad does, he says I need to stop causing a scene. He kicked out Luke, too, but by then I was just over it. I grabbed my backpack and ran.”

“I’m sorry, ‘Beth.” He finally says, and she shrugs. “It’s not your fault. I just—I couldn’t stay. That house messes with me, and I can’t stay there.”

Gently, she squeezes his hand, “Thank you for picking me up.”

He glances over, shooting her a small smile, “You know I’d never leave you out there.”

“I knew you wouldn’t, but, still, thank you. Now I have to figure out if I can get back into dorms or not.”

Percy raises an eyebrow, “You are not staying in dorms for Thanksgiving.”

“Where else am I gonna go?”

“You can stay at mine.” He says the words so easily it scares him, “My mom and Paul won’t mind—you’ll take my bed. Plus, my mom makes the best Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I don’t want to intrude.” She argues, “This is a family holiday, and also, Rachel—”

“Will understand.” He finishes, cutting her off. “I wouldn’t leave any friends hanging.”

“Would you drive four hours in one night for a friend?”

He chooses not to answer that question, and instead turns up the radio.

  
  
  


Even as they go up the stairs to the apartment, Annabeth argues otherwise. “There’s a subway station right there! I’ll just take it.”

“Annabeth, shut the fuck up and get into the apartment.” He deadpans, tugging the door open and holding it for her. He almost gives her a push in, but she steps inside and he manages to shut the door behind them. He hears a song from _The Nightmare before Christmas_ on TV, and that gives him enough indication that they’re all crowded in the living room.

“Come on.” He drags her to the entryway in the living room, and sure enough, his mom and Paul are on the couch with Estelle sandwiched between them, half her body resting against Paul’s. There’s a bowl of popcorn and a plate of cookies in front of them. They look up when they hear footsteps.

“Mom, Paul, Stel, this is Annabeth.” Percy says, and Annabeth waves, “I’m sorry for barging in on you guys like this, but it’s lovely to meet you.”

“You’re not barging in on anything.” Paul responds, “I’d get up, but she’s too distracted by the movie.” He gestures to Estelle, and the action causes a laugh to leave Annabeth, “ _Nightmare before Christmas_ was one of my favorite movies when I was younger, too, so I get it.”

At that, Estelle glances at Annabeth, “You’re pretty.”

Although he couldn’t speak out loud, he knew his sister was right. He’d only noticed after they’d entered the apartment that Annabeth was dressed in a black velvet dress with a white turtleneck underneath. She had on more makeup than Percy had ever seen her in, and in the back of his mind, it hits him that she’s stunning. Even though the compliment came from a four-year-old, Percy sees her cheeks turn red, “Thank you. So are you.”

She beams before turning her attention to the movie, and Sally gets up, “Have you eaten yet, Annabeth?”

“No, but—”

“Perfect! Neither has Percy, so I’ll heat some up for both of you. Perce, why don’t you get her a change of clothes. That dress looks lovely, but I doubt it’s warm at all.” She says it all with a clap of her hands, and Annabeth turns to Percy, “You said you ate!”

“I went to pick you up right when the food was ready!” He defends, and Annabeth stares at him for a moment, “Oh my god—I ruined your dinner.”

“No, no, you did not.” Percy was quick to argue, “I _chose_ to pick you up, okay? And it’s fine! We’ll eat now. Mom’s food is great regardless of when.”

“I really can go back to the dorms, it’s really not—”

“I am not letting you go back to the dorms without dinner.” Sally cuts her off easily, arms crossed over her chest, “And by the time you’re done, subways will be closed down. So, how about you come with me and tell me your favorite foods while Percy gets you something warmer?”

Although the words came out as a question, there was no room for argument, so the two comply. Percy manages to pull out a pair of sweats he knows will be too big and a crewneck from one of his old high school swim teams. When he makes his way back into the kitchen, Annabeth and his mom are both laughing and it sends a spear straight through his chest. 

“These are gonna be big, but they’re comfy, so that should count for something.” He says, handing her the clothes, and she accepts them with a small smile, “Considering I ran out of that house without my duffel of clothes, I’ll take what I can get.”

He grins, “The bathroom’s the second door on the left.”

She gives him a quick ‘thank you’, but with the way her eyes met his, he knows it's about more than the clothes. Once she’s out of earshot, his mom finally speaks, “She’s sweet.”

“I know.”

“She’s also beautiful.”

“Yeah, I know that too.” 

“Is she single?”

“Yep.”

“And she knows you’re with Rachel?”

“Mhm. They’re roommates.”

“Do you know what you’re doing, Percy?” She asks him honestly, meeting his eyes, and briefly, he glances at the way her jacket rests on the back of one of the chairs in their kitchen. The way her heeled boots don’t look out of place next to his worn out Vans. He looks at his mom once again, “I think I do.”

“I hope so.” She says, and Percy exhales a breath, watching her switch out plates in the microwave. “I just, I—” 

_I like her so much it hurts_. The words linger on the tip of his tongue, but he can’t get them out. His mom reaches over and squeezes his arm, a small smile on her lips, “I know. Just be careful, okay?”

He nods once, and before she can say anything else, Annabeth reemerges into the kitchen, and he feels another, all-too-familiar punch in the stomach. He’d just seen her dressed up, but her in his clothes is what does it for him. The sweatpants were rolled up at her ankles and waist yet still hung low, and his crewneck was big enough that it landed right above her knees. She’d scrubbed off all the makeup she’d had on and tied her hair up messily, but in Percy’s eyes, she looked better this way.

She messily shoves the dress she’d been wearing into her backpack, then turns to Sally and Percy, “Was that baby picture in the hallway of Percy?”

Inwardly, Percy groans, and Sally practically lights up, “It is! Cute, right?”  
  


“Adorable, honestly.” 

“There are a lot more pictures scattered around the apartment.” She responds, placing two plates filled to the brim onto the kitchen table. “Percy was the cutest baby.”

“Mom, please stop.” He deadpans, and Annabeth laughs, ignoring him, “He’s cute now, too.”

At that, something flips in Percy’s chest and Sally exchanges a look with him. Without looking at Annabeth, she nods, “I think so, too.”

“Once you two are done eating, there’s pie in the fridge and Percy knows where the cookies are, too.” 

  
Annabeth gives her a grateful smile, “Thank you again.”

Percy watches his mom give Annabeth’s hand a small squeeze, “You’re always welcome. I’ll put out some blankets and pillows for you on the couch, Perce.”

“Thank you.” 

She nods once again and then she’s gone, allowing the two of them to sit down and start eating.

“Your mom’s really nice.” Annabeth says quietly, picking at a bit of food on her plate, “I’m overstepping so many boundaries and she’s really sweet.”

Percy grins, swallowing a bite of food, “She’s always been like that. She likes you.”

Annabeth lets out a small laugh, “I don’t think so.”

He shakes his head, “She does—believe me.”

_She likes you because I like you, and that’s enough for her_. He doesn’t tell her that though, and instead changes the subject to a story about what Estelle did two nights ago when he first came home.

Almost an hour later, they’re sharing a big slice of pumpkin pie on a single plate because neither of them wants to do that much dishes, and Annabeth keeps pushing his fork away because she claims he’s already eaten his share.

“Annabeth, stop it!” He almost yells, elbowing her as she pushes his fork away with her own again, and she lets out a laugh. He’d pushed their chairs together so they were side-by-side, and her laughing sends a vibration through him that he feels in his heart. 

“You keep stealing bites from my side!” She argues, and he responds by giving her a pinch through the fabric of the crewneck, “There are no sides, it’s a shared slice.”

She laughs again, then elbows him in the stomach, “It’s my slice now.”

“I will douse you in whipped cream right now, Annabeth.”

“I’ll shove this piece in your face.”

“You wouldn’t.” He argues, and Annabeth raises her fork, filled with a massive glob of pumpkin, “You sure about that?”

She reaches forward but before she can reach his face, he grabs both her hands in his own and she’s laughing, “You’re no fun!”

“Annabeth!” He laughs, pushing her hand forward until the bite of pie hits her cheek. She gasps, “ _Percy_!”

“You threatened to do it first!” He defends, but she already picks up the can of whipped cream and sprays onto an empty spot on the plate, before picking it up with her hand and smearing it on his face.

She’s laughing as she does so, and the two of them are loud enough that Paul makes his way into the kitchen.

“Oh, you two are a mess.” He comments, an amused smile on his lips as he leans against the doorway. Estelle is buried in his shoulder fast asleep, and the site makes Percy’s smile grow, “Hey, Paul.”

“Clean up after yourselves, okay?” Is all he says, and Annabeth nods, “Of course, Mr. Blofis.”

He grins, “You can call me Paul, Annabeth.”

She nods once again, and he lifts himself off the wall, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Paul!” Percy responds, then turns to Annabeth, who’s taking another bite of the pie she’d ruined, “You’re evil.”

“And yet, you invited me to spend the night.” She teases, then picks up a paper towel and hands it to him, “Clean your face up.”

“This was your fault!” He argues, but wipes at his face regardless as Annabeth laughs. She wipes at the mess of pie crumbs that litter her cheek, and when she’s done, she picks up the wad of paper towels and drops them in the trash. 

“Did I get it all off?” He asks her as she settles back into her chair, and when she looks at him, a small laugh leaves her. “Almost, wait.”

She uses her thumb and swipes at a spot at the corner of his mouth, then leans back. “Okay, you’re good.”

She was barely a breath away, so close Percy knows she knows his heart is pounding. He knows this because he can feel hers too, heavy and hanging along with the unspoken word in the air.

She clears her throat, “We should, um, we should clean up. I’ll do the dishes.” 

“Yeah, that works.” He nods, and the two shoot away from each other. Annabeth works on cleaning up the dishes they’d piled in the sink while he wipes the counter down, and as he goes to drop the discarded towel in the sink, she turns.

Their chests are almost pressed together, and because of the shock of their proximity, Annabeth’s hands fly to his chest. She’s stuck between him and the kitchen counter, and even though he shouldn’t, he loves it. 

A small breath leaves her as she meets Percy’s eye, and they’re so close he feels it on his skin. He knows this is wrong, he knows that maybe he shouldn’t be staring at her lips like he is, but then her tongue darts out to lick them and he’s a goner. 

Slowly, painfully, he presses his forehead against hers. Her hands don’t move from their position, so he takes that as an opportunity to place one hand on her hip. He feels her fall into his touch, and the action sends a thrill through him. She’s so close, _so_ close that he could count every eyelash she has. When he leans closer, her eyes flutter shut and he feels her breath catch in her throat. 

This is wrong, they shouldn’t do this. _He_ shouldn’t do this, he reminds himself, but that thought is buried by the way Annabeth’s around him. He feels their lips brush, and he knows they should stop, yet he doesn’t.

He presses her closer to him, and Annabeth lets out a small noise, one that passes through Percy, and he knows he doesn’t want to let her go at all. He brushes her lips again, barely, and before he can properly kiss her, Annabeth speaks. 

“Percy, we can’t do this.” Her voice is a low whisper, just barely audible between their lips, and she opens her eyes to bore into his, “You know we can’t.”

“Annabeth.” He rasps out her name, and she shakes her head. There’s a small, sad smile on her face as she takes a step back—just enough to put distance between them, but small enough to let Percy know she forced herself to do so. 

“I’m gonna head to bed, okay? I’m, um—I’ll head to the dorms tomorrow.” 

Carefully, painfully, she leans forward and presses a kiss to his cheek. She lets herself linger for a second before pulling away, “Goodnight, Percy.”

He doesn’t exhale until he hears his bedroom door close. 

  
  


When Percy wakes up the next morning, he doesn’t expect the silence that’s filled the living room. He hears shuffling in the kitchen, which is enough indication that at least his mom and Paul are awake, but usually at this point Estelle is awake and demanding the TV to watch some cartoon she’s decided is the best thing in the world. When he gets up to brush his teeth, he hears it.

“Wait, so she’s a fairy?” 

“Mhm.”

“And so’s that blonde one?”

“Yeah.”

“This is cool.”

He hears her laugh before he sees it--Annabeth, sitting in his bed, with Estelle in front of her. She’s brushing out his sister’s hair, braiding it, he thinks, and there’s Annabeth’s laptop propped open in front of them.

Before they can see him, he makes his way to the kitchen instead. “Morning.”

Both his mom and Paul are up, the two of them working on what he assumes is breakfast. His mom beams, “Morning. Slept okay?”

He nods, because he knows if he speaks it’ll be lies. He got four hours of sleep--The rest of his night filled with stress over the blonde sitting on his bed.

“Estelle tried to wake you up, but Annabeth convinced her to hang out in your room instead. She likes her.” Paul says, picking up his mug of coffee. Sally laughs, “She’s replacing you as Stell’s favorite, Perce.”

“She’s known her for a night!” He defends, but the two are already laughing and he knows it's pointless. By the time he makes it to his room, Estelle’s hair is in two neat braids and she’s curled into Annabeth’s side, her eyes fixed on the screen in front of her. Annabeth spots him first, “Hey there.”

“Having fun?” He asks, and it’s enough to capture his sister’s attention. She’s practically beaming, but makes no move to get up, “Annabeth showed me a new tv show.”

Annabeth readjusts how she’s sitting so Percy can join them on the bed, and he pulls his sister against him, “What show?”

“I’m showing her _Winx Club_.” Annabeth responds, and when he turns his head, he realizes just how close the two of them are. He chooses to ignore the way she shifts slightly. Estelle settles herself in Percy’s hold, then leans up to his ear, “I like her.”

He gazes over to Annabeth, but it didn’t seem like she’d heard it. “Really?”

She nods, green eyes bright and Percy can’t help but smile, “Me, too.”

They stay like that until they are called for breakfast, and when Estelle runs out of the room, Percy grabs Annabeth’s arm, “Can we talk, please?” 

She stops, slowly turning to face him. Her hair had fallen out of the bun she’d secured it in last night, and the way it falls around her face does something to his chest.

“About last night—” He begins, but Annabeth cuts him off before he can finish, “Last night didn’t happen.”

“We need to talk about it.” He argues, and Annabeth opens her mouth to respond, but before she can, his mom calls out another warning and the conversation’s dead before he can even get a word in.

Some point during their meal, Paul gets a text about a Black Friday deal he’d been eyeing online that’s selling out, and somehow, Annabeth convinces Paul and his mom to head out with Estelle, promising that she and Percy could clean up breakfast.

“I’ll help Percy with the dishes and everything, and then I’ll probably head to my dorm.” She states, picking at a piece of fruit on her plate, and his mom is quick to argue, “There’s still four days for Thanksgiving break, you should stay another day.”

She shakes her head, meeting his mom’s eyes, “I don’t want to overstay. You guys have already done more than enough.”

Within an hour, the door shuts and Annabeth and Percy are alone again. Annabeth is loading the dishwasher when Percy returns from closing the front door, and he grabs a pile of plates and hands them to her, “Can we talk now?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She argues, and he has half a mind to throw the plates against the wall, “Yes, there is.”

“No, because _nothing_ happened.” She straightens, closing the dishwasher. Percy hits the power button, “Something did and you know it.”

“We can’t do—”

“I wanted to kiss you!” He practically yells, the words snapping out of him in one swoop. Annabeth takes a careful step back, “Don’t say that.”

“I’m not gonna take it back.” He responds, then shakes his head, “I— know this is fucked up, okay? I _know_ I’m a fucking mess but I also know I’ve wanted to kiss you for _so_ long now—ever since that day when I walked you to your dorm and you were wearing my jacket.”

He’s spewing word vomit at this point, but Annabeth makes no move to stop him, so he ploughs on, “And I know I shouldn’t say any of this for very obvious reasons, but fuck, Annabeth, it’s not like I could stop it. I mean,” He pauses, letting out a low laugh, “look at you. I couldn’t— _can’t_ —not feel the way I do.”

“You have a girlfriend.” She reminds him in a low voice, and Percy realizes she’s crying when she swipes at her cheek using the sleeve of the crewneck she was wearing. “You have a fucking _girlfriend_ , and yet you’re saying all this.”

“I know, and—”

“And _nothing_!” She cries, then steps forward and presses her hands to his chest, giving him a small shove, “You can’t—you’re _not_ allowed to do that! It’s not fair, okay? Not to me, not to you, not to Rachel!”

“Don’t act like you haven’t wanted to kiss me too.” He argues, grabbing a hold of her hands and holding them in his. When their eyes meet, she pauses. Percy lets out a breath, “I know you have, too.”

“I can’t do this to her, Percy.” She whispers, “I won’t be that girl. I want to, god, do I want to, but I _can’t_.”

She takes in a breath, takes a step back, wipes at the tears on her cheeks. “You just—text me when you figure it out.”

  
  
  


He can’t text her, and it’s been two weeks. He hasn’t been able to bring up the conversation with Rachel, he can’t talk it out with Grover, and he can’t text Annabeth, because he hasn’t figured it out yet and it hurts too much to be that close to her without being able to do anything.

He only visits their dorm when she’s gone, during times where he’s memorized that she’ll be in class or at the library and that’s when he’s willing to come over. He doesn’t know what makes him finally decide to tell Rachel, but when he texts her after class asking if he could come over, he knows he has to.

Rachel’s working on a sketch when he comes over, her hands covered in charcoal as she tugs the door open for him. She sits back down on her bed, a messy heap of blankets compared to Annabeth’s perfectly made side. 

“So, what’s up?”

“I can’t do this anymore.” He blurts out, and for a moment, Rachel inches back, and Percy continues before she can cut him off, “We’ve— _I’ve_ —been off for a while now and it’s not fair for me to be doing this to you. We don’t work, Rachel, we haven’t for a while.”

She stares at him for a moment, then, finally, “You’re right.”

“Really?” He doesn’t attempt to mask the awe in his voice, and his shock makes Rachel laugh, “Yeah, Percy, I know we’ve been off.”

She exhales a breath, “You like Annabeth, don’t you?”

“I— _what_?” He freezes, eyes wide as he stares at her, and she laughs, “Oh my god, you do.”

“Why are you laughing right now?” His hands are shaking, and Rachel is laughing. This is far from what had crossed his mind. 

“Because, Percy,” she breathes out, “I knew you liked her, from, like, the second time all three of us were in the same room.”

She straightens, “I thought it was a passing crush. Like, we’d been together for so long, but then...it changed. I could tell, but I guess I was in denial. But Percy, you—you weren’t very secretive.” She lets out a small breath, “When we first started dating, you’d watch me. It’s one of your love languages, I think: watching someone. You like studying people, memorizing their movements. I knew you were gone for me and liked her when I realized that instead of watching me, you’d watch her.”

“Why don’t you hate me?” He asks, quietly, and she shrugs, “A part of me knew, I guess, that we weren’t forever. I mean, for the longest time, even before Annabeth, we’d always felt like friends, more than we’d ever felt like a couple.”

“And I want us to stay friends.” Percy says quickly, “I mean, you’re one of the few people who’s stuck around for longer than a year. I kinda think that counts for something.”

Rachel laughs, “It really does. Now, I have a drawing to finish, and Annabeth’s at the library.”

“If it makes you uncomfortable I won’t act on it.” He reminds her, and she shakes her head, “I can’t do that to you guys—not when she’s been hung up on you since the second I introduced you both.”

He doesn’t wait for another word, and instead gives a quick thank you and bolts from the apartment. He pulls out his phone as he’s heading back to his own dorm. 

>> **percy** (5:43 PM) : i figured it out

Her response is instant.

<< **annabeth** (5:43 PM) : and?

>> **percy** (5:44 PM) : come over

He manages to make his bed before there’s a knock at his door, and when he opens it, it takes all of him not to kiss her right there. It’s a Thursday, which means she hadn’t had any classes that day. She’s in leggings and a big hoodie and she’s so fucking beautiful it hurts.

“What did you figure out?” She breathes the question out, almost nervously, as she enters the room. Percy takes a small step toward her, “I want you, ‘Beth. Not in the friend way, not in the hiding my feelings terribly way, not in the I get stupid jealous when you go out with someone way. I want _you_ , and I sorted it out and I’m single, okay? And I know maybe you don’t want to jump into a relationship but if I will take anything from you as long as I can fucking kiss you.”

He exhales a breath, and moves his hands to hold onto her hips, tugging her against him. He feels her breath catch in her throat, and his voice is a raspy whisper against her skin, “ _Please_ let me kiss you.”

She nods once, and it’s enough for him to close the distance between them and press his lips to hers. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about this before, but every single one of his thoughts failed in comparison to this. Her hands find their way around his neck, burying into his hair as she pulls him even closer to him, and he can’t even try to swallow the small groan that comes from the back of his throat.

They stumble backwards as he deepens the kiss, refusing to part, and he feels her gasp against him as her back hits the door. He kisses the corner of her mouth, her jaw, a trail down her neck that has her gasping and tugging at his hair and he never, ever wants it to stop. He kisses her properly one more time, savoring the way her eyes flutter shut and the way her head falls against the door she’s pressed up on.

When they part, her lips are a deep red, puffed, with flushed cheeks and a reddening spot on her neck and Percy thinks she’s fucking perfect. He presses their foreheads together, hands travelling to hold the back of her thighs to lift her up. She complies, wrapping herself around his waist, and he kisses her again before she can say anything else. 

Now that he can kiss her, he doesn’t think he can ever stop. He feels her pull away, her lips moving to kiss his jaw, down his neck, to the spot below his ear that makes him grip her just a bit tighter, pressing himself a bit closer. 

“Fuck, Annabeth.” He breathes out, and she trails back up until she presses one last kiss to his lips, “I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

“You’re still evil.” He rasps, and it only makes her smile, pressing another kiss to his neck, “I don’t want to stop.”

“Neither do I, but I can’t—we need to slow down.” He manages to let out, and Annabeth lifts her head to meet his eyes. Carefully, he brushes a strand of her hair away from her face, “That was better than anything I could have pictured.”

“Mm, so you’ve pictured this before?” She teases, and Percy nods once, pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips, “Every time you came over.”

He trails his lips down her skin, taking in the way her head falls back as he does so. “If anyone saw my thoughts whenever you came over, I’d be in hell right now. Buried six feet under and paying for a multitude of sins.”

He kisses a spot just below her jaw that makes a small noise leave her lips, one that runs straight through him. He knows they need to stop, that she can definitely _feel_ what she’s doing to him, but he kisses her skin instead. 

“You were taken.” She breathes out, and he kisses her lightly, “That’s what made it so much fucking worse, but then you’d pop into my head in those stupid shorts and that stupid red dress and suddenly I couldn’t think straight.”

“Remind me to wear those shorts more often.” She breathes out before kissing him again, fingers entangled in his hair and her legs tighter around him. Before it can get any deeper, he pulls away, breathing ragged, “We need to pause.”

She nods, and he presses a kiss to her cheek before lowering her slowly. She sits herself down on his bed, and Percy exhales a breath, “I need a minute, okay?”

Annabeth looks like she’s biting back a laugh, and his eyes narrow, “You’re fucking evil.”

She leans off the bed and kisses him again, lighter but still enough to leave him dizzy. When they part, there’s a different expression on her face, “I could help with that, you know.”

“Not yet.” He rasps out, mentally cursing himself for the visual that pops into his head, “I just—a minute, okay?”

She nods, and this time there’s no teasing when she sits back onto his bed and lets him take a breather. 

When he manages to calm down, Annabeth is curled up on his bed playing with her phone. She’d tied her hair up, and Percy can see two red marks on her neck that send a surge of satisfaction running through him. He lays down beside her, wrapping one arm around her to tug her against him. She turns in his arms, their heads inches away from each other on the pillow.

“So,” She says softly, one hand reaching up to play with the strings on his hoodie, “how did you figure it out?”

“I stopped being a chicken.” He tightens his arm around her. “I just walked out of my lecture and texted Rachel.”

“Does she hate me?” She gives one of his hoodie strings a small tug, “I don’t know how to face her if she hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you.” Percy responds easily, “She, um, she kinda knew, though.”

“Everyone with two braincells knew, you weren’t subtle.” 

He laughs, shaking his head against his pillow, “You can’t blame me.”

He shifts, leaning forward and pressing a small kiss to the corner of her mouth, “I mean, objectively, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. I walked into that dorm room expecting to just hang out with my girlfriend but I couldn’t even stop staring at you to listen to her.”

“Mm, that was the first sign.” She responds, her eyes shining, “Was the second one when you walked me home after I crashed game night even though you were still planning to hang out, or was it when you got jealous because Stoll asked me to go out with him?”

Unconsciously, Percy tugs her a bit closer, “That was unfair and you know it.”

She stares at him, “How was it unfair that I went on a date?”

“You knew how I felt!” He argues, and Annabeth rolls her eyes, “You were taken.”  
  


“So?” He rolls, using his arms to prop himself up so he’s hovering over her. He presses a kiss to her jaw, “Do you know how much it fucking killed me to see you two like that?”

He kisses her neck, and she lets out a sigh and tilts her head. Her fingers find themselves in his hair again, and he knows that by tomorrow morning he’ll look like a mess, but he kisses another spot, “The fact that you got dressed up for him, the way he kissed you—he got to do all the things I wanted.”

He places a short kiss to her lips, “So, yeah, it was unfair.”

“You act like I didn’t have to endure you and Rachel.” She argues, then manages to flip the two of them. She places her hands on his chest to prop herself up, her legs draped on either side of him, and he’s in bliss at the way she’s hovering above him.

“Do you know,” She begins, one of her hands trailing down his chest, “How fucking _annoying_ it is to hear about how the guy you want is a God-send kisser with a great body and not being able to do anything?”

She kisses his jaw, and he has to swallow back the groan in his throat, “How annoying it was every time it was the two of us in that dorm and all I wanted was for you for myself?”

She lets her lips linger on the spot she’d worked on previously, and Percy lets out a low breath, “You have me.”

She lifts herself from his skin, a small smile on her face, “I hope you know I’m not planning to let you go.”

Percy grins, giving her hips a small squeeze, “That’s a relief, since I think I’m two seconds away from telling you I’m in love with you.”

The words tumble out of his lips without him realizing and once they’re out, his eyes widen. “Fuck, Annabeth—”

“I’m falling in love with you, too.” She cuts him off, and the words rush through him and leave him reeling. “You— _huh_?”

She lowers her head into his shoulder as she laughs, and he gives her sides a pinch, “Once again, you’re evil.”

“Oh, but you fell in love with me.” She challenges, meeting his eyes once again, and he takes the opportunity to flip them over once again. He raises one hand to run across her jaw, and he sees small goosebumps litter her skin as a response, “I did, yeah.”

She kisses him, and it’s all he’s ever wanted and then some.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: percasbeths!


End file.
